King of Underworld

Chapter 181: Epilogue – 21st Century Olympus (2)

Gulp, gulp.

The cocktail, made from a mix of countless ingredients, was quite delicious.

The smooth aroma of mead combined with the celestial nectar and the flavor of golden apples created a harmonious blend in my mouth.

The surprising taste almost made me want to ask for another, but I remembered the purpose of my visit.

I had to find our mischievous princess of the underworld before she disappeared somewhere else again.

“Have you seen Melinoe today, by any chance?”

“Are you referring to the Goddess of Nightmares? Uh… I’m sorry, but I’m not sure.”

I turned my gaze away from the puzzled nymph and approached the goddesses dancing on one side of the banquet hall.

It was a space filled with goddesses wearing daring outfits, moving joyfully to the music. Surely she wouldn’t be among them, right?

“Ahahaha! Hestia, are you really a virgin goddess? The way you’re dancing doesn’t look like it’s your first time!”

“What?! It’s just a hobby I’ve practiced! Aphrodite, you’re one to talk…”

♫ ♪ ♫

“My, my. Olympus seems to have such a wealth of beautiful flowers.”

“It’s a shame we can’t see Goddess Athena here. She’s quite… heh.”

“Wow…! I… I also…!”

“Who’s pushing like this—Lord Hades?”

I brushed past the shoulders of male gods drooling as they admired the dancing goddesses, scanning the area.

Aphrodite, dressed in extravagant attire that covered only essential parts, performed dazzling dance moves.

Hestia danced passionately as if in competition with her, while Dike, who was supposed to be on vacation, was also present.

The Moon Goddess Selene and the Dawn Goddess Eos were there too. But no sign of Melinoe. Where on earth had she gone?

“Oh? Hades?”

When my eyes met Aphrodite’s, I stepped toward her.

“Have you seen my daughter?”

“The Goddess of Nightmares? Hmm… Perhaps if you spend a little time with me, I might feel like sharing.”

“…?”

Aphrodite gave me a coy, provocative smile and extended her hand.

I could practically hear the grumbling jealousy of the male gods behind me.

What nonsense is this? I’m a married man with children. Go dance with Ares instead.

“Forget it. Hestia, have you seen Melinoe? It seems she’s fled again, so I’ve come all the way to Olympus to look for her.”

“Oh? Oh! She came to the banquet hall with Morpheus but left for the mortal world afterward. I’m not sure about the details…”

“Eek! Why would you tell him that?! Really!”

“What? Are you worried he’ll find out about your reputation for being involved with dozens of—mmph!”

“Quiet! Why would you blabber about that here…?”

“What does it matter? Everyone knows about your behavior anyway—!”

The two goddesses abruptly stopped dancing and began arguing.

Were they close, or did they dislike each other? It was hard to tell.

I passed by the quarreling goddesses and continued scanning my surroundings.

If Hestia’s words were true, Melinoe must be in the mortal world.

But I had no idea where in the vast mortal realm she could be, and searching every corner would be nearly impossible.

At times like this, there was only one solution…

“Pan.”

“Yes?! Lord Hades, is that you? It’s been so long!”

I had to rely on the nature god, Pan, to locate her.

* * *

I explained in detail that I was looking for my runaway daughter, who seemed to have fled to the mortal world.

After hearing everything, Pan’s reaction was somewhat hesitant.

“Hmm. Well, if this were the old days, it might have been possible. But these days, it’s a bit tricky.”

“What do you mean?”

“In the past, I could have spread word to all and found her. But now, with humans’ attention being what it is, it’s not so simple. At best, I can rely on plants or small animals that can move discreetly…”

Ah, of course. This was bound to be an issue.

Back in the mythological era, even if animals acted in unison, it was merely seen as divine power.

But in today’s mortal world, where people are skeptical or indifferent to gods, it would cause chaos.

If I were to issue an oracle in this age…

– “Breaking news: Reports are pouring in of voices claiming to be from the god Hades heard in people’s minds…”

– “The government has expressed concerns about potential religious conflicts…”

– “This just in: Greek mythology confirmed true. A religion worshiping the god of wealth is gaining momentum…”

– “A nihilistic philosophy of seeking to die quickly and reach Elysium is spreading rapidly…”

– “Since the alleged appearance of the god of the underworld, suicide rates have skyrocketed nationwide…”

Hmm. None of these outcomes would be desirable.

Although my faith does still exist among mortals, directly issuing an oracle or appearing would only cause turmoil.

I would also have to restrain the use of any powers that might seem supernatural by human standards.

The current world is different from the past.

It’s no longer an era where honor, virtue, or serving gods are considered paramount.

Even traditions of hospitality have almost disappeared, and the belief that sinners would be punished by gods or atone in the underworld is scarce.

This is an age dominated by material wealth. If the god of wealth appeared, the reactions would be predictable.

“…For now, search in a way that draws as little human attention as possible.”

“Understood. But don’t expect too much.”

“Alright.”

I watched Pan silently draw out his divine power, my eyes drifting to his attire.

Overalls, a round hat, and black shoes—so even the god of nature couldn’t resist the tide of modernization.

Quite some time passed before he opened his eyes wide and spoke.

“Aha! I’ve found them! They’re in a country called South Korea in the mortal world, together with Lord Morpheus!”

“Explain in detail where that is.”

“I’ll assign a divine beast to relay my instructions and guide you there.”

I needed to bring her back immediately. Nightmares, which mortals despise, are still part of the world’s balance.

She’s far too old now to be eloping with Morpheus.

* * *

Whisper, whisper.

“…What’s that on his shoulder?”

“A bird? Isn’t it a pet eagle?”

“But are eagles normally that big? It looks like some kind of mutant eagle…”

“Maybe it’s a bird from overseas? That guy looks like a foreigner.”

Not bothering to conceal myself with divine power, I stepped into the mortal world, drawing some attention.

I thought I’d enjoy sightseeing while disguised as a human and searching for Melinoe.

But it seemed this eagle-like divine beast perched on my shoulder was the main attraction.

Shriek!

– “The location Lord Pan mentioned is in that direction, O revered Hades!”

“Uhh…”

“Is it angry because we’re staring too much?”

“Let’s not provoke it. Just look away.”

This divine beast was attracting far more attention than I anticipated.

Even when it spoke to me, to mortals it sounded like the piercing cries of a furious eagle, making it stand out even more.

Ignoring the stares pouring in from all directions, I continued walking until a group distributing flyers stopped me.

Or, more accurately, an elderly man among them did.

What does that banner say? “Elysium Church”?

A religion focused on reaching Elysium? What nonsense is this?

“Hold on there, young man! Spare a moment to hear something good!”

“…?”

“Judging by the eagle on your shoulder, you must worship Zeus, but you shouldn’t! You’ll end up in hell—Tartarus!”

The momentary joy that someone still recognized the eagle as Zeus’s sacred animal vanished quickly.

The words spilling from the old man’s mouth made me frown. What nonsense was he spouting?

“If you don’t believe in Lord Hades, you’ll fall into Tartarus when you die! Ditch that eagle right now and start growing mint at home. You know this, right? Mint is…”

Shriek!

– “How dare you! You insolent mortal! Do you know who stands before you?!”

The old man grabbed my hand and tried to forcefully hand me a pot planted with mint.

But it didn’t stop there.

“This will cost you only 200,000 won! Pay up and take this, and you’ll go to Elysium after death! Come on, hurry…”

“…Do you realize the sins you’re piling up as we speak?”

“What?! How dare you speak so rudely to your elder…”

“If you don’t want to fall into Tartarus after death, I’d suggest you stop this behavior.”

To think that scoundrels like this claim to be my followers. No, there wasn’t even genuine faith here; they weren’t followers at all.

The stench of deceit was overwhelming. These people were likely conning others, exploiting my name to swindle mortals out of their wealth.

To dare use my name like this?

If they show up in the underworld after their death… no, I should have Melinoe handle such cases more frequently.

“You don’t look like you have much time left. I suppose I’ll be seeing you soon.”

“You rude little brat!”

Shriek!

– “Lord Hades! If you command it, I shall devour this insolent wretch’s liver!”

Shrugging off the old man trying to cling to me, I memorized the souls of these contemptible scammers who dared exploit my name.

Calming the agitated divine beast, which had never suffered such an insult, I resumed my steps toward Melinoe’s location.

Humans truly have advanced greatly. As their understanding expands, reverence for gods inevitably wanes.

Weapons with destructive power akin to Zeus’s thunderbolts, and the ability to live and travel in the skies and even space.

– “We’ve arrived! Lord Pan said the two are inside this building!”

This was the place. Where Morpheus and Melinoe were.

But why was it so noisy here?

“Over here! Someone suddenly collapsed…!”

“Did someone call for help? Why is 119* here at the department store?” (*Emergency services in Korea.)

People in orange uniforms were carrying out an unconscious man.

From the collapsed man, I could sense Melinoe’s power. Did she already cause trouble the moment she entered the mortal world…?

“Ah, ah! Lord Hades!”

“Gasp…! Father?!”

Found them. These troublemakers.